Method for controlling weed beets and other weeds

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for controlling bolters in Beta vulgaris growing areas, comprising planting Beta vulgaris plants or sowing Beta vulgaris seed comprising an endogenous allele encoding an epsp synthase having at position 179 an amino acid different from proline and applying a glyphosate herbicide to the growing plants.

1 . A method for controlling bolters in sugar beet growing areas, comprising the steps of:
 a) planting sugar beet plants or sowing sugar beet seed comprising an endogenous allele encoding an epsp synthase having at position 179 an amino acid different from proline,   b) applying a glyphosate herbicide to the growing plants, and   c) optionally, repeating step b) during the growing season.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the endogenous allele encoding the epsp synthase has at position 179 an amino acid selected from the group of Serine, Threonine, Alanine and Leucine. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the epsp synthase having at position 179 an amino acid different from proline, comprises an amino acid sequence selected from
 i) the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3,   ii) the sequence of i) having at position 179 an amino acid different from serine and proline, or   iii) a sequence having an identity of at least 90% to the sequence of i) or ii), preferably over the entire length of the sequence.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the endogenous allele(s) encoding an epsp synthase having at position 179 an amino acid different from proline, comprises a nucleotide sequence selected from
 i) the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1,   ii) a sequence having the coding sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2,   iii) the sequence of i) or ii) having nucleotides corresponding to amino acid position 179 and encoding an amino acid different from serine and proline,   iv) a sequence having an identity of at least 90% to the sequence of i), ii), or iii), preferably over the entire length of the sequence, or   v) a nucleotide sequence encoding the epsp synthase according to  claim 3 .   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the endogenous allele encoding the epsp synthase has additionally at position 175 an amino acid different from threonine. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein in step b) at least 300 g/ha glyphosate acid equivalent is applied to the growing plants. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the sugar beet plants or sugar beet seeds further comprise an endogenous allele encoding an acetolactate synthase (ALS) having at position 569 an amino acid different from tryptophan. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the endogenous allele encoding the acetolactate synthase has additionally at position 188 an amino acid different from proline. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a) in a prior or subsequent growing season planting sugar beet plants or sowing sugar beet seeds comprising an endogenous gene encoding an acetolactate synthase (ALS), wherein the ALS gene has a different amino acid than tryptophan at position 569 and/or has a different amino acid than proline at position 188,   b) applying an ALS inhibitor to the growing plants, and   c) optionally, repeating step b) during the other growing season.   
     
     
         10 . A method for producing sugar beets in sugar beet growing areas, comprising the steps of:
 a) conducting the method of  claim 1 , and   b) harvesting sugar beets.   
     
     
         11 . A method for providing a glyphosate resistant sugar beet plant comprising the steps of:
 a) mutagenizing sugar beet cells or tissue with at least 0.5% EMS or at least 0.3% ENU,   b) producing stecks from the mutagenized cells or tissue (M0),   c) replanting stecks for producing a population of seeds (M1),   d) producing seeds (M2) from plants grown from M1 seeds,   e) sowing M2 seeds and applying at least 600 g/ha glyphosate active ingredient to growing plants,   f) optionally, replant surviving plants in pots and applying at least 600 g/ha glyphosate active ingredient to the growing plants, and   g) selecting surviving plants without herbicide damages.   
     
     
         12 . A glyphosate resistant sugar beet plant or plant part obtained by the method of  claim 11 . 
     
     
         13 . A sugar beet plant or plant part comprising an endogenous allele encoding an epsp synthase having at position 179 an amino acid different from proline. 
     
     
         14 . A method for producing sugar, comprising:
 a) providing the root beet of the beet plant of  claim 12 ,   b) extracting sugar from said root beet.   
     
     
         15 . A method of using the sugar beet plant of plant part of  claim 12  in a method of sugar production, anaerobic digestion, or fermentation; or in a method of sugar, biogas or biofuel production. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the amino acid at position 179 is serine. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the amino acid at position 175 is isoleucine. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the amino acid at position 569 is selected from the group consisting of alanine, glycine, isoleucine, leucine, methionine, phenylalanine, proline, valine and arginine. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the amino acid at position 188 is selected from the group consisting of serine, threonine, arginine, leucine, glutamine, and alanine. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the amino acid at position 569 is leucine and the amino acid at position 188 is serine.